Louth man to be sentenced over unprovoked fatal attack on teen

A Louth man who killed a teenager in Dundalk over two years ago following an unprovoked altercation is to be sentenced on Friday. He attacked, punched and kicked the 18-year-old “like a rag doll”, bouncing his head off a road several times.

Unemployed father of three Douglas Ward (36), with an address at Loughantarve, Knockbridge, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Niall Dore on October 13th, 2010.

The Central Criminal Court in Dublin was told that Niall Dore had represented Ireland for several years at the World Champion Kick Boxing, winning a bronze medal in 2004 and a silver medal in 2009, and that he planned to join the Army.

Det Insp Pat Marry said Mr Dore was “trying to keep the peace” in the fracas.

His father, David, read out a victim impact report and said the ultimate result of his son’s injuries was that he died a lonely death on the streets of a town he loved so much.

He said the birth of Niall was one of the happiest days in their lives. “I didn’t cry again for 18 years and 48 weeks, which is exactly how long we had him for.”